Speaking at the most recent meeting of Waterford Metropolitan District Council, Councillor Joeanne Bailey has criticised the minimum rental standard for houses being allocated on long-term leases.
According to Cllr Bailey, some of these houses are being allocated with single glazed windows, making it impossible for tenants to heat their homes and maintain an acceptable standard of living.
“When housing take on a house from the homeowner on the long-term lease, the house is checked before the Council tenant is allocated the property,” she explained. “The Council is happy someone is allocated from the list, the tenant is happy they have a home for the next few years, the homeowner is happy they are receiving rent from the Council.
“The minimum renting standard set down by the housing department doesn’t go far enough to make the home 100% liveable for the tenant. Reading the minimum rental standards of the RTB there is no mention of windows. As long as there is a window, single-glazed in the property, then it’s covered by the rental standard. Tenants are living in cold damp properties due to single glazed windows,” she said.
“This seems to be a grey area as the council do not own homes allocated by them on the long-term leases. The council are not responsible to change the windows if they don’t own the property,” Cllr Bailey acknowledged, “But our tenants are struggling to stay warm and heat their home.
“One lady that is in contact with me again this week, said that she cannot do another winter in the house … We have a responsibility to our tenants around the minimum standard, I don’t think it’s being met. We have to do more for our tenants.”
Cllr. Bailey added: “It is not good enough that a single glazed house is being accepted by Council”.
AARON KENT
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
